On my online workbook this week: Purple haze… float

Dear

This week's inspiration is a... wow... seriously??? a heat wave in May.

My tip for you today is to set the Wisteria racemes in a row on your design table and harvest the individual flowers according to their opening stages. Wisteria flowers grow on long racemes of wonderfully fragrant, pea-like flowers. The tip of the raceme opens up last and the bottom flowers open well before the rest. Pick away the bottom, completely opened flowers from all your cut stems first, leaving the pedicel as long as possible. When you look at the flower you will notice that the banner (the large petal) is flat or even reflexed. Place this flat petal flat on the water to float so that the pedicel (stem part) and the calyx (the part where the stem and flower connect) will be below the water and the flower remains hydrated. The other petals (the keel and the wing petal) point straight up. Next add the next row of opening flowers. They are not yet completely open and fit nicely in between the fully opened flowers (see picture above) and can even rest on the flat petals that you placed first. And so you work your way up until you have covered the entire surface (see picture below). The leftover closed buds on the now long stems can be placed in a bud vase to enjoy while the buds open.

Carefully placing the flowers like this takes a bit more time to do, yes, but the flowers will last longer for you to enjoy. Simply dumping a handful of flowers usually bruises the flowers and the submerged blooms rots so much quicker. Also by neatly placing the flowers you get to fully appreciate the beauty of each flower. It creates this translucent haze of purple flowers that are quite spectacular.

It makes all the difference, don’t you agree?

Enjoy!

Every good wish,

Christine